I feel pathetic, help me?

[Samanthaaa]

:bawling:

Alright. This is the one issue I am having with my AP Summer assignment, the historical context of it. And I noticed other people have asked similar things but my teacher means what was happening when the author wrote it, not what was happening during the time of the setting of the story. I have searched the internet and my history textbook, but I am lost at what was going on while Hawthorne was writing The Scarlet Letter (1849-1850), I am assuming she wants ideas of the time, his peers in writing, religion of the time, ect.

If you can help, please do.

[Logos]

Well, Hawthorne's (http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/) Gothic Romance is influenced by his Puritan New England background, and he himself worked in the Salem Custom House. He was also neighbour and friend to many Transcendentalists including the Alcotts, Thoreau, and Emerson. That should give you some areas/themes to look into, good luck with your assignment :)

[Samanthaaa]

Thank you very veryyy much.

[quasimodo1]

Just to add to Logos info, this link is good...http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/ quasimodo1

[Logos]

Virginia Commonwealth University, good resource page quasi :) :thumbs_up

[StayGolden]

I googled "The Scarlet Letter, historical events" and was presented with plenty of relevant information for your assignment. Perhaps you should give that a shot? ;)